Driftport was already a disaster, and Henry hadn't even done anything yet.
The dock was chaos. Pirates were scrambling everywhere, crates were overturned, and people were shouting about some thief causing trouble. Meanwhile, Henry was just minding his own business, totally not looking for trouble.
"Alright, crew!" Henry declared as he stepped off the Black Fang, hands on his hips. "Time to—"
A massive burlap sack fell from the sky and slammed directly onto Henry.
Henry let out a very dignified, totally-not-embarrassing yelp as he toppled backward.
The crew just stared.
Scarlet crossed her arms. "So. This is happening now."
Boggart scratched his head. "Is... is the Cap'n under a sack?"
Marrow, already holding a lit bomb, looked way too excited. "Want me to blow it up?"
"NO," Henry's muffled voice groaned from inside the sack.
Before anyone could move, the sack twitched. Then, it wiggled. Then—
"WOULD YOU STOP MOVING?!" Henry shouted.
The sack exploded open—
And out rolled a woman.
The woman hit the ground, rolled to her feet in a ridiculously agile manner, and instantly struck a defensive stance. Her golden eyes darted around, taking in the situation. Her dark, wavy hair was messy, and she wore a long coat that looked like it had been stolen (because it definitely had).
Henry, still lying flat on his back, pointed dramatically. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
The woman blinked. Then, without missing a beat, she grabbed the edges of her coat and bowed theatrically.
"Why, dear sir, I am absolutely nobody!"
A loud angry mob of pirates rounded the corner, shouting about a "no-good, thievin' little rat" who had just robbed them blind.
The woman turned to Henry with the brightest, most innocent smile.
"Say, Captain! You wouldn't happen to be in need of a skilled professional, would you?"
Henry blinked. Then he slowly pointed to himself. "…Captain?"
The angry mob spotted them.
"THERE SHE IS! GET HER!"
"She stole my gold!"
"She stole my teeth!"
"She stole my pants!"
Henry sat up straight. "Wait, what?"
The thief immediately jumped behind Henry and grabbed onto his shoulders like they were best friends. "Look! It's my dear, dear captain!" she announced dramatically. "So lovely to see you again! Are we fighting these guys or running?"
Henry opened his mouth to protest—only for Marrow to immediately yell, "Fighting!" and start lighting a bomb.
"WAIT, NO—" Henry started.
Too late.
The explosion sent pirates scattering in all directions.
The thief cackled and grabbed Henry's hand. "That's my cue!" She yanked him forward, sprinting at full speed.
"WHY AM I THE ONE BEING DRAGGED?!" Henry yelled as he was forcefully dragged into the chaos.
Scarlet sighed, already massaging her temples. "Of course this is happening."
...
Somehow, they made it back to the ship in one piece.
The thief stood at the center of the deck, arms crossed, looking ridiculously pleased with herself.
Henry, still catching his breath, jabbed a finger at her. "Explain. Right now."
The thief grinned. "The name's Lillian—Lily if you like. And I may have borrowed a few things from some very rude people back in town."
"Borrowed?" Scarlet repeated flatly.
"Yes," Lily said smoothly. "Without their permission. Permanently."
Boggart sighed. "Cap'n, we just got here, and now we've got half the port chasing us."
Henry rubbed his temples. "Of course we do." Then he turned to Lily. "Why should I keep you on this ship?"
Lily grinned and flipped a gold coin between her fingers with almost impossible dexterity. "Oh, I don't know... I am a master thief, an expert at infiltration, and I happen to know where you can find a very juicy treasure."
Henry perked up immediately. "Treasure?"
Scarlet groaned. "Henry, no."
Henry held up a hand. "Yes." Then he turned back to Lily. "Alright, fine. You're in. Welcome to the crew."
Lily beamed. "Pleasure doing business with you, Captain."
Shade, who had been watching silently this whole time, muttered under his breath, "Chaos follows you everywhere, Captain."
Henry exhaled. "Tell me something I don't know."
To be continued…